The Boy In The Box (Newtmas au)

Chapter 20

Thomas' POV

Today is my first day of school. I'm pretty excited, but also a bit scared, if I must admit. I hope I will be good enough to be able to do it. I need to pass that test in six months. It's the only way to get my shit back together.

Newt has been supporting me more than ever. Ever since I told him I loved him back in Seoul, he has hardly left my side, and I couldn't be more grateful. I do love him. I love everything about him, and he will be the only one who can cure me from my broken life. I would do anything to have him with me all the time.

I drive to the small campus where I will be spending quite a bit of my time during the next few months. A lot of people are already walking around there. People like me, older than me, younger than me, every different race, hair color, style... everything. Every possible person walks around in this place. 

After walking for a while, I finally find my classroom. Two young girls, probably not older than nineteen, walk past me while I stand in the doorway. They smile at me, but I don't smile back. I don't like people.

Than I realize I am being incredibly rude, and I've been telling myself to change my attitude, so I kindly smile back at the girls. 

I sit down in a seat at the back, where I'm able to look over the whole class. A few minutes later, a guy sits down next to me.

"Hey, what's up? I'm Jackson." I look at him.

"Thomas", I reply. 

"You new here, too?" the guy, Jackson, asks. I kind of want to answer: yeah, of course. What the fuck do you think? I'm not new in a class full of new to-be-teachers. Instead I say: "Yep." They call it thinking before you speak.

I'm happy when class starts and this dude stops talking. This class soon appears to be very interesting, and it's not long before I'm completely encaptured by what the professor is saying.

More hours pass and by lunchtime I've found some people to sit with, even Jackson is quite okay, actually. This guy with blonde hair and a lip piercing named Luke asks: "Hey Thomas. We are going to this party tonight. You wanna come?" I think about it for a moment. I can do that, right?

"Alright, I'll come", I say gladly. The guys yell. People look at our table, and it's quite awkward, but whatever. I don't give a fuck.

The rest of the afternoon, I sit in class, thinking about that party. Where would it be? How would it be? The clock ticks the minutes away and when it's finally over, I find Newt standing by his car in the parking lot. I walk up to him and kiss him.

"Hey babe."

"Tommy", he smiles. "How was your first day, Greenie?" 

"It was alright. It's very interesting. I really like it."

"That's nice to hear." I step in his car and he starts to drive to Brenda and Teresa, where I am still staying. I decide to tell him about the party immediately.

"There's this party I'm going to tonight. Some guys from school invited me. Do you want to come with me?" Newt frowns. He frowns a lot, but this is different. I can see that he doesn't like the idea. My thoughts appear to be right, because he says: "I'd rather not. I can still remember last time. That didn't end well, so I'd rather just stay home tonight. I need to go to work tomorrow anyways. But you can go alone."

I think about that for a moment. I know our last party wasn't really the best memory for either him or me, but I'm still really looking forward to this evening, so I'm going anyways. Even if it's just to bond with my classmates.

...

The party happened to be in an abandoned apartment building. I had to walk up six flights of stairs to get to the right apartment. The door was already open so I walk in, unfamiliar faces all around, smoke in the air. 

I've been to a lot of parties like this one here, but nonetheless, I feel uncomfortable. Mostly because I'm all alone, and at least half of these people are either drunk or high. I look around the room, desperately searching for Luke or Jackson, but they seem lost in the smoke. 

After walking around a bit, I find the two guys and a few other people from my class in the kitchen. 

"Hey, Thomas! Glad you could make it, bro" Luke says slightly intoxicated and it's not even nine o'clock. 

"Hi, Luke."

Jackson says, already more intoxicated than Luke: "Hey, I'll give you a drink." He hands me a white cup with a bright pink liquid in it. I wonder what it is, but than I mentally punch myself in the face. I've got to stop fucking worrying. Making my life better doesn't mean abandoning the old Thomas Greene. I used to be so reckless, especially when it came to parties. I'm just going to let myself go tonight.

I'm still the Thomas Greene I used to be, not giving a flying fuck and getting really drunk.

So I empty the cup. A familiar burn in my throat appears, and immediately I am craving more. Jackson hands me another cup and only a minute later, it's empty again. A booze in my head makes my feel like I'm flying.

What is this?

I don't know what it is. The only thing I do know is that I want more. So much more.

The night goes on and on. I drink. I laugh. I talk. I watch how the others dance. I drink more. The smoke and alcohol are blurring my sight, but I snap to reality when someone takes Luke's arms and drags him away. 

Before I can even realize what is going on, a pair of strong arms grab me too and I feel my body being dragged out the door and down the stairs. People are running, screaming, trying to get away before the men in the uniforms get to them.

For me, it's already too late. I'm already being pushed in a police van, taken to wherever they take people from, apparently illegal, parties. I see Luke being pushed in another van, and they lock me with other clueless people in this van.

During the trip to the police station, I sober up quickly, the events sinking in at a top speed. The party, and probably building were not lawful, so the police came to break it up and they took as many people as they could get. And I was one of the unlucky people that got caught.

We arrive at the station and get thrown into a cell. The man who pushed me in the van says: "You can make one call to get out of here." One by one, we go to the telephone. When it's finally my turn, I go to the telephone on the wall and tick in Newt's number. He picks up.

"Newt Isaacs." He sounds very sleepy.

"Newt, it's me. You need to come pick me up at the police station."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."